Improvement in wash-boilers



UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcEc RALPH LAIVYER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WASH-BOILERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,349, dated January2S, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH LAWYER, of Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedWash-Boiler; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l issectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a perspective view of the false bottom.y

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawing denote the sameparts.

This invention belongs to that class of washboilers in which, when wateris supplied and heat applied, the water and steam are made to rise in apipe located centrally ofthe boiler, and from out of the top of the pipethe water falling on and passing through the fabrics placed in theboiler, and cleansing them thoroughly from dirt.

The invention consists in the combination, with the boiler, ofamechanism for preventin ga iiow of the water backward from the centralpipe, and in providing the cover of this boiler with `a window, all ofwhich I will now proceed to describe.

In the drawing, A is the boiler, which is of ordinary construction,except in respect of a rim, a, attached to its bottom and forming awater-tight chamber within the boiler. B is a false bottom, having aiiange, b, at its outer edge, which rests on the bottom of the boilerbetween the sides thereof and the rim a, said iiange having perforationsb', or their equivalents, to admit water, the area of the false bottombeing such as to leave sufficient room for the passage of water bothbetween it and the walls of the boiler, and between it and the rim a,and the iiange b being high enough to let water pass between the falsebottom and the top ofthe rim C are ribs attached to the under side ofthe false bottomB to help it sustain the load of clothes. D is a pipeeX- tending nearly to the top of the boiler, with a conical-shapedbottom, d, attached to the center of the upper side of the false bottomB, which has a hole continuous with the inside of el. VOn the top of Dis a crosspipe, D', stopped at its ends, and having holes in its underside near each end. Shoulders e attached to the inside of the boiler,all at the same height from its bottom, serve as stops for cross-bars E,with beveled ends, when placed beneath said shoulders, and, upon thefalse bottom B, secure the latter lirmly in place. In the cover F of theboiler is an opening, f, with a hinged cover, f, of mica or othersuitable transparent material.

The boiler should be filled with soap-suds to a point about an inch highon the pipe D, and the clothes, previously soaked, placed on the falsebottom B. 0n the application of heat to the boiler the consequentexpansion of the water compels that part of it inside the rim a. andfalse bottom B to iind vent. The

rim a and false bottom B, as well as the greater weight of water outsideof the false bottom, and the pressure of steam thereon, all co-operateto cause the water inside the rim a to pass up the pipe D, which is theonly unobstructed passage; consequently, a continuous stream of waterpours up the pipe D and out of the ends of the cross-pipe D, and, fall`ing and passing through the clothes, cleanses them, and also constantlyrenews the supply inside the rim a.

When an excess of steam has been generated it raises the hinged coverand a part of the steam escapes, after which the cover falls of its ownweight. Hence the hinged cover operates as a safetyvalve.

The transparency ot' the cover allows the condition of the contentsofthe boiler to be at any time ascertained without rcmoving thc cover.

What I claim as new is- 1. A wash-boiler constructed with a rim, a, onits bottom, as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the false bottom B, perforated flange b, and ribsG, as described.

3. The combination of the boiler A, rim a, false bottom B, flange b, andpipe D, as described.

4. In combination with the hinged-lid safety-valve of a washboiler covera window placed in the lid, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

To the above specification of my invention l have set my hand this 4thday of November,

RALPH LAWYER.

. Witnesses:

HAMILTON MERRIMAN, J. DoNALDsoN.

